End and Beginning  

by Trude

Email: marti_ms@hotmail.com

Disclaimer: I own nothing and whoever owns them has done some terrible mistakes!

Spoilers: up to Departure, I guess

Summary: in AU, Isabel tells Alex (yes! Alex) about her decision  of leaving or not leaving Earth.

 

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Alex was playing the new song of the Whits on his guitar when he heard a knock on his window. Opening the curtains, he smiled when he saw Isabel. ‘And I always thought that Michael is the one using the windows.’, he thought to himself. Quickly opening the window, he helped her into his room.

 

“Hey!”, he smiled down at her and kissed her on the lips. “Why are you here at this time?” Alex asked Isabel, quickly adding, “Not that I mind.” Seeing the sad look on Isabel’s face, Alex got concerned. “What’s wrong Isabel?” he asked her after he led them to his bed. Holding Alex tightly, Isabel choked out, “In the Destiny Book, there ... it explains a way for us to go home. We just ... just have to use the Granolith. It can bring us home.”

 

They were both silent for a minute, then Alex said, “So, ... you are using it, I suppose.” Isabel nodded, “The Granolith needs 24 hours to ... I don’t know ... gather energy before it can be used, I guess. Michael and Max activated it today which means ... that we could leave tomorrow.” Alex looked at Isabel in shock. ‘Leave?’, he thought miserably, ‘Tomorrow? This can’t be true! She HAS to be joking! She has to!’ Trying to calm down, he asked her, “What do you mean with ‘could’?”

 

Isabel, who hadn’t said a word in minutes, turned to him and said calmly, “I am not going. I stay here!” Alex just stared at her, not believing what he just heard. “You ... you are ... staying? Here ... on Earth? Why? I ...“ Isabel smiled at him, stroking his cheek softly, “Max said that everyone has to decide whether he or she wants to stay or leave. I already decided to stay.” Alex took Isabel’s hands in his, holding them tightly, “Why?”, even though he was glad that she wanted to stay, he didn’t understand it.

 

“I already told you last week that for me, home is here in Roswell with the Evans and you. I ... I don’t need to go to Antar so I can be home – I am already home. Besides, if I go there, I would constantly be reminded of Vilandra and what she did, and that’s something that I don’t want to think about. I still need to accept what she did and when I go to Antar ... I wouldn’t be able ... I admit that I am curious about Antar, but I have no desire to leave. Everything I ever wanted ... a loving family, friends, love, happiness, something worth living for ... I already have this here. I don’t to go and play princess and fight a war which might already have ended. You said it yourself once: I am not Vilandra, I am Isabel Evans, and Isabel Evans belongs here, to Earth, to you, to me and not to a planet far away!”

 

They were both silent, both thinking about Isabel’s words for a minute. “Looks like you already made up your mind.” Alex said smiling a bit. “I am glad that you are staying, it would have been awful to loose you again.”, he told her quietly. “You won’t loose me again!”, Isabel promised, wrapping her arms around him. “Do the others already know?”, Alex asked. “I only told Max. Michael and Tess will learn about it tomorrow. We are meeting at the Pod Chamber in the afternoon, when the Granolith is ready.”

 

“Are you sure?”, Alex asked her again. “Yeah,”, Isabel replied, kissing him softly, “I am staying.” “Thank God!”, Alex sighed, holding her close, never wanting to let her go again. “I am so glad that you aren’t leaving.” “Me too” Isabel said, “me too.”

 

She pulled away a bit, looking into his eyes as if searching for something. Alex looked confused at her, “What?”, he asked, feeling suddenly very shy under her close observation. Isabel smiled at him, leaned in and kissed him briefly. Looking into Alex’s eyes again, she said, “I love you Alexander Charles Whitman!”, then she kissed him again, longer and more passionate than before.

 

When they came up for air again, Alex looked deeply into her eyes, “I love you too, Isabel. Forever. I think I loved you since I first saw you so many years ago in Elementary School. And I was so sure that I would never hear you say those words to me. You can’t believe how ...” His ramblings were cut short by Isabel’s lips on his as she launched herself on him, straddling his lap. Holding her tightly, Alex let his hands run through her hair, helping her pulling off her jacket, before he was pushed back onto his bed.

 

 

Next morning

 

“Alex?”, Mr. Whitman called at the door, while also knocking on his son’s bedroom door. “Alex? Are you in there?” Mr. Whitman tried to open the door but found it locked. “One minute Dad!”, he heard Alex saying.  ‘Strange.’, Mr. Whitman thought, ‘since when does Alex lock his door?’ He could hear his son shuffling around through his room and then the door opened.

 

“You wanted to talk to me, dad?”, Alex asked, grinning nervously at his dad. “Yeah, I wanted to tell you that your mother and I have to go to a weekend-meeting in Albuquerque . I know it is short notice, but our boss just called us half an hour ago. But I am sure that you won’t miss me and your mom that much.” Mr. Whitman smiled at his son, then he frowned. “You okay, son? You look kind of tired.” Mr. Whitman asked worriedly, seeing how he was standing there just in his briefs, his hair totally mussed and ... was that a hickey on his neck? And there, on his shoulder seemed to be another one! ‘He is growing up way to fast.’, Mr. Whitman thought a bit sadly.

 

Alex blushed a bit, “Oh, I ... uh, I didn’t get much sleep last night. You know, the ... uh, finals and so are coming closer and ... yeah, well.” Mr. Whitman nodded, “I see, but school really shouldn’t be such a problem for you. You’ve always been good in school.” Alex grinned a bit more at his dad, “Thanks. But uh, could you ...” he asked awkwardly, closing the door a bit more and casting a glance to his right, “I ... uh, still need to do ... some homework before I ... go to school.” Alex told his dad nervously, already closing the door.

 

“Uhm, okay son.” Mr. Whitman told the door. “Mom and I will leave in twenty minutes and we’ll be back Sunday evening. Uh, bye!” With that Mr. Whitman went back into the kitchen, getting the distinct feeling that there were things going on in his son’s life that he had no idea about. It wasn’t a very up-lifting feeling.

 

 

 

“God that was close!”, Alex said, looking at Isabel who had been hiding behind the door. “Yeah, for a moment I thought he would come in and see me. ”, Isabel replied, wrapping the blanket tighter around her shoulders.  “But that would have been better as if your dad would have ... oh god! Your parents! They’ll be missing you and ...” Isabel quickly put a finger on his lips, “Don’t worry. I told them that I am having a sleepover with Tess.” Sighing in relief, Alex pulled her into his arms. “Good. For a moment I saw your father finding out about last night and trying to kill me.”

 

Isabel laughed at that, “He wouldn’t kill you! At least not when I don’t allow it!” “So, I am at your mercy?”, Alex asked her teasingly while bending down to nibble on her throat.  “Yep, you are! And you better not forget it!”, Isabel warned him jokingly. “I try to keep that in mind.”, he promised as he picked her up and carried her back to his bed.

 

 

 

Afternoon

 

Holding each other tightly, Isabel and Alex made their way over to the others, who where already waiting in the Pod Chamber. Maria and Michael were holding hands, like Max and Liz while Kyle and Tess stood close to each other. Coming to stand beside them, Alex and Isabel turned towards the Granolith, Alex seeing it for the first time.

 

“Isabel?” Max asked his sister, “Your decision is still the same?” Squeezing Alex’s hand, Isabel told him and the others, “Yeah, I am staying here.” She quickly wiped away a tear at the thought of Max and Michael leaving. Alex pulled her into his arms, running his hand up and down her back, knowing how hard this was for her.

 

“Max and I came to the same decision!” Michael told her softly. Isabel whipped her head around to look at her two ‘brothers’. “You are also staying?”, she asked unbelievingly, not caring anymore if tears were running down her face. Alex couldn’t help but grin at Maria and Liz after hearing Michael’s words.

 

“You all want to stay?”, Tess asked very surprised. Everyone turned to her, the Aliens hoping that she would understand and the Humans curious about her decision. “Wow,” Tess continued, “that’s actually a surprise. I thought that at least one of you would want to go.”, she said, turning briefly to Michael, who pulled Maria tighter to him. “What about you?”, Max asked quietly. “We can understand if you want to leave and we would respect your decision if you do, but you are also welcome to stay with us.”

 

Looking at everyone, especially Kyle, Tess sighed. “I’ll stay too. I don’t want to go alone and,” she paused for a moment, looking at Kyle and then the other Aliens, “you will need me anyway. Who would save you all from the dangers you are constantly faced with when I am gone?”

 

The last she said mockingly, causing everyone to chuckle and Kyle to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. Not wanting to break the ‘eye-staring’ moment between Tess and Kyle, Michael deactivated the Granolith with a wave of his hand.

 

“I can’t believe that everything worked out perfect.” Isabel whispered in Alex’s ear. “Me neither, but I am glad that it did for once.” he whispered back, pulling her close and giving her a kiss that took their breaths away.

 

 

The End